Beginning in this chapter, there will be 'footnotes' after certain words that are italicized and bolded. The numbers correspond with explinations given at the end of each chapter. They will be set apart by a double line break.
Chapter One: Explanations and Spywork
"Professor—" began a young, hesitant voice.
"Jallil, you may call me," replied a lisping voice as confident and old as the hills.
"Professor Jallil," continued the younger voice as Tylia paused at the door to the Alchemy class. She was supposed to be in her Magical Languages class, but had finished her test early and was running errands for the professor, who just happened to be her father. "If you don't mind me asking…"
"I never will turn away a question," Jallil replied. Tylia smiled. Her mother's odd English never ceased to amuse her daughter.
"What are you?"
Tylia couldn't help it: she laughed. Instantly, the door opened, and the proffesor was standing there, grinning maliciously. To anyone else, she would have been a frightening figure; Jallilvlos Zauval had skin almost the color of ebony, though Tylia knew that it was actually dark blue, hair like spun silver and eyes as red as human blood.
"Zauval-madam," Jallil purred her own last name as she latched onto Tylia's wrist and pulled her forcefully into the classroom. Tylia smoothed her face of all emotion as the fourth year class—including two of Tylia's current Interests, Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy—turned to look at her. "Young one's question you amuses. Answer it will you."
"As you wish, Professor," Tylia replied, her voice as flat as her face as she scanned the class. Albus' periwinkle blue eyes caught her jade green ones, but he looked away a moment later. "Professor Jallil is a Pasaer1. Pasaelaer2 are a magical race not unlike hags or vampyres in that they—and their Jhondraelael3 cousins—are not allowed to wield wands. However, they hardly need wand magic to keep up with wizards because both races have their own, natural, magic. Pasaelael4 magic usually involves weapons and destruction, while Jhondraelael magic most commonly relates to plants, animals and other natural items."
A Ravenclaw in the back of the class raised his hand hesitantly as Scorpius did the same. Jallil glanced between the two and then motioned to Tylia.
"Telling yours is," the professor shrugged. "Questions yours are also."
"Scorpius, your question?" Tylia gestured toward the Slytherin. The younger student's storm-gray eyes widened and his eyebrows rose slightly at the fact that this stranger knew his name, but he was otherwise unmoved.
"Why have I never heard of Pasaelaer? Or Jhondraelaer5, for that matter?" Scorpius inquired his voice clear and cold. "Magical races are my…fascination."
"Both races are notoriously unfond of humans," Tylia replied easily. "And while Jhondraelaer and Pasaelaer once populated much of the known world—and artifacts of those larger civilizations are sometimes still found—they have retreated to lands where humans cannot bother them."
Tylia glanced at her mother for the Ravenclaw's name as Albus, too, raised his hand.
"Thomas-master, question yours to ask?" Jallil called, pointing to the Ravenclaw.
"What's a 'Jhondraer6'?" he asked, his dark brown eyes alight with something very familiar to Tylia: a thirst for knowledge. "You said they were cousins to the Pasaelaer. And do Pasaelaer always look as Professor Jallil does?"
"Yes, Pasaelaer always look like Professor Jallil," Tylia replied out-of-order. "Red eyes, silver hair and dark, blue-black skin are the hallmark of a Pasaer, though the race has been known to produce individual variations, such as yellow, green or lavender eyes, or skin with a purple tone rather than a blue one."
Albus put his hand down, a thoughtful look on his face, but a girl near him raised her hand instead.
"As for Jhondraelaer," Tylia continued easily. "They are 'Light Elves' to the Pasaelaer's 'Dark Elves.' The two were once one race, but they diverged. Who here knows or has seen Myrdyl Sholes?"
Almost every hand went up, the female's more quickly than those of the men. Tylia allowed herself a half of a crooked smile; her father was handsome, if she was completely honest.
"Professor Sholes is a Jhondraer," Tylia finished, again glancing at the Alchemy Professor for the name of the Hufflepuff girl near Albus.
"Longbottom-madam," Jallil called. Tylia took note; this, then, was the older sister of her newest Breeze.
"I have two questions," Ally began hesitantly. Her soft voice gained confidence when Tylia waved her on. "Do Jhondraelaer have as strict a look as Pasaelaer? And, if Pasaelaer and Jhondraelaer hide from humans, why are Professors Jallil and Sholes here?"
"Jhondraelaer are tall, thin, pale and fragile looking," Tylia replied instantly. It was information she knew by heart. "But then, so too are Pasaelaer, save for the 'pale.' Jhondraelaer usually have dark hair and deep green eyes, though, again, variations exist, usually in eye color. Some Jhondraelaer have blonde hair, or blue eyes--though it is rare indeed that those two traits coincide. Most Pasaelaer and Jhondraelaer cannot stand humans for personal reasons of their own. Professors Jallil and Sholel are obvious exceptions."
Tylia slipped her mother a scroll and muttered "From Father" in the Pasaelael tongue, then made for the door.
"Wait." Jallil's voice rang out in the silent classroom. "Another question there is."
Tylia turned slowly, but the inquirer's name was out of her mouth before she caught sight of him.
"Yes, Albus?"
"If Pasaelaer have dark skin and silver hair," the Gryffindor began in a quiet voice that nonetheless carried over the near-silence of the classroom. "And Jhondraelaer are pale with deep green eyes, then what does that make you, who has silver hair, ashy skin and green eyes?"
Tylia's mind raced. She had known that someone might catch on eventually. That it was this particular young man amused her, and intrigued her; there was no such thing as coincidence in her mind.
"I'm just special, I guess," the half-breed replied with a vicious grin before finally achieving the door and the hallway. A black cat-like creature waited for her there, patient in the shadows. "Afternoon, Petrius. Would you do me a favor, please?"
The pa'das7 paced around her, then sat just in front of her and nodded.
Whatever must be done. The words echoed in Tylia's mind. The girl smiled and sat down so that her eyes were on a level with Petrius' own.
"There's a boy in this class," Tylia began, sending the highly intelligent, Pasaelael-bred feline an image of Albus Severus Potter. "Follow him. Don't speak with him, but report his activities to me."
He is now my quarry, replied the leopard-sized tom according to his own protocol. No interaction, merely observation. Is this correct?
"Yes, thank you, Petrius," Tylia agreed, kissing him on the nose as she got to her feet and started toward her father's classroom.
I will report to you once he is asleep, Petrius called as she walked away. He slipped into a shadowy alcove and literally vanished into the shadows. It was a bit of pa'das magic.
And there'll be a steak waiting for you, thought Tylia with a smile. Every Pasaer was Bonded to a pa'das at birth. Jallil had stolen a newborn pa'das kitten for her half-Elven daughter. Pa'das existed to help their Pasaelael counterparts. Not all were as intelligent as Petrius—Jallil's pa'das was actually rather dim—but all could follow directions.
"Professor, what is my task?" Tylia inquired as she entered the Magical Languages classroom.
"What kept you?" Myrdyl inquired in reply without turning from the board where he was helping one of the students with some Jhondraelael verbs. He asked the question in Condraelael8, a dialect of Elven not taught in his class.
"Mother," she replied in the same language as she waited for him to give her another errand. "The usual mid-year 'what are you?' I happened to overhear and laughed, so she made me answer."
Myrdyl turned merry eyes on his daughter and the Ravenclaw at the board with him was startled to notice their eyes were the exact same color.
"Then you should not have laughed," Myrdyl retorted, highly amused.
"Well, expect a few admirers at your door, Father," Tylia replied dryly. "I told the class that you were Jhondraelael."
"Thank you very much, daughter-mine," Myrdyl drawled, turning back to the verbs and switching to Shydaelael9, a type of Elven he taught in class. "The Headmistress requested a favor. Go see what she requires."
Hours later, Tylia sprawled messily across one of the ebony and azure couches in the Ravenclaw Common Room.
It must be past two and Mother's just released me, she thought wearily. No other humanoids were in the room, though there was a little Siamese cat curled up near the half-elf's feet
Jallilvlos-micamer10 means well, came the cool, reassuring sound of Petrius' mind-voice. You must learn both of your cultures, as divergent as they are.
Yes, but must I learn them after midnight? Tylia demanded rhetorically as she sat up in time to see the pa'das materialize out of the shadows, red eyes gleaming in the light from the nearby fire. The Siamese spooked at the sight of the magical cat.
Only the old Pasaelael rituals, Petrius replied anyway. The Pasaelael are a people of darkness and—
—And blood, yes, I know, interrupted Tylia, pulling from her bag the steak she had gotten from the house elves in the kitchen while on her rounds.
Thank you, Tylia, the pa'das murmured, devouring the majority of the raw, inch-thick steak very quickly. A small scrap was left, which Petrius stepped away from. For the little cousin.
Tylia smiled as she picked up the scrap and began to look for the frightened Siamese. That was something else. Most pa'das were vicious, like their Bonds.
She's on top of the cabinet, Petrius commented and, sure enough, the white and brown cat was pinned under Petrius' unnatural scarlet gaze. Tylia put the scrap up where she could reach it and turned back to her friend. As for your curiosity, you thought the answer yourself.
Huh?
'Most pa'das are vicious, like their Bonds,' Petrius recited easily, his bloody eyes turning to her. I, too, am like my Bond: calmer and more clearheaded than most of my kind as a result of your Jhondraelael blood.
Oh.
My report, then? Petrius suggested.
Yes, of course, please, Tylia agreed instantly.
The quarry attended his classes as usual, as well as dinner, began the large feline, showing her flashing images of Albus' day. During the free time after dinner, he visited Myrdyl Sholel.
He paused on an image of Albus bowing to Tylia's father as though expecting her to make a comment.
"And?" Tylia prodded calmly. Petrius nodded his approval of her composure.
Master Sholel shut me out of his classroom, Petrius admitted, and then lifted his lips to show his sharp teeth in a feline grin. But the quarry's mind was loud and his thoughts clear. I did not even need to scan for him; he projected so loudly.
"Stop bragging and get on with your report," Tylia laughed with slight exasperation.
He wished to know about you and, because you spoke of the Master with pleasure in your voice, the quarry sought him out.
"And what did my father tell him, pray?" Tylia inquired dryly. Her voice was calm but her thoughts were furious: Betrayed by the love of my own father!
There is no harm in loving Master Windguard, Petrius replied to the undirected thought. Besides, you want the quarry to know of you.
"You know something, Petrius?" Tylia asked sourly, glowering at the pa'das before her.
What? Petrius asked dutifully, voice full of innocence.
"Sometimes I hate having a telepath for a companion."
Liar. Petrius' mind-voice was flat, calm and, worst of all, honest. A pa'das was incapable of lying to its Bond. As for the rest of my report…
"Of course," Tylia sighed and turned so that she could lean back on the magical beast's chest, her head laid back on his muscular shoulder.
Master Windguard answered all of the quarry's questions, Petrius continued, shifting so that she would be more comfortable. The quarry has learned that you are half-Jhondraelael, half-Pasaelael and that the Master is your father. While not directly told as much, he assumes that Jallilvlos-micamer is your mother. You have his interest and he means to seek you out at breakfast tomorrow.
"Then I'll just have to skip breakfast, won't I?" Tylia mused, and then she yawned broadly. "Let's go to bed, Petrius."
It may interest you to know that a young man in green robes and gray eyes visited the Master as well, though with less curiosity about you and more about your parents' peoples.
"Scorpius," Tylia nodded easily; she had expected him to visit Myrdyl soon. "The green robes mean he's in Slytherin."
Green robes, Petrius agreed. Tylia sighed again. Petrius was very stubborn when it came to not recognizing people by their Houses, especially for a creature bred into existence by a clan-based culture.
"C'mon," Tylia climbed to her feet, glad the day was over, but more than ready for the next one to start.
1Dark Elf
2Dark Elves
3Light Elven
4Dark Elven
5Light Elves
6Light Elf
7Literally 'panther;' a telepathic feline bonded at birth to a newborn Pasaer
8High Elven
9Wood Elven
10Ma'am or madam